Harvest Moon 2: Harvest of Blood
by t.j.guard
Summary: Sequel to Rise of the Harvest Moon. The Count's coming back around, and he's willing to kill for the Stone of Attamon. The question, then, is can Tony and his friends escape with their lives?
1. Chapter 1

Harvest Moon 2: Harvest of Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own The Little Vampire

Chapter One

When Von slipped into Tony's bedroom to put the stone in his nightstand drawer, Tony, Rudolph, and Anna were asleep on the bed in a fashion that ensured that all three of them would fit. He smiled, and then he walked out of the room. Gregory was passed out on the couch, his limbs splayed out as if he had all the room in the world.

But for all the peace in the Thompson house, something to Von's heightened senses felt amiss. He walked downstairs and stopped, listening. He heard the faint beeping sound that Tony told him indicated the activation of Rookery's vampire detection system. He turned his head to the left and almost immediately noticed the distant shadow and soft red light of the truck. His stomach clenched immediately, and he turned toward the door to the basement and slipped inside.

Alright, Von, breathe, he told himself, leaning his back against the door. He's just one hunter and everyone in this village thinks he's a whackjob. How threatening can he be?

Potentially very, he realized. No one gives credence to the crazy, which makes them angry and causes them to want to gain credence, and the logical extention is someone who may be very dangerous indeed.

Why was he there? What did he want? Did he believe the Sackville-Baggs were still vampires and the Thompsons sympathizers? That certainly seemed likely, cinsidering what little he knew of the history of the Thompsons' involvement in this case, and it has always been Von's experience that vampire hunters considered vampires to be forever agents of the devil, either as vampires or humans.

Von walked down the stairs and toward the chest in the back of the cellar that he had adopted as his own. He climbed inside and leaned back against the narrow side of the chest, his hands on the lengths to his side. His fingers drummed out a tune as he hummed it, but his mind was too occupied by Rookery's presence for the tune to have any real meaning or quality. He stopped humming and drumming and slipped into the hunter's mind, the only way to escape notice.

Rookery, it turned out, was aware the Sackville-Baggs were human, but he believed they were vampire sympathizers working with the Thompsons to board other vampires. Von smirked at this foreign thought, largely because it was to some extent true.

The hunter was also mentally going over the Lord McAshton and John McMillan cases, but he believed that if he could eliminate the vampires closest to the sympathizers, they would break down and tell him where the other ones were.

Von started to pull out, but before he left, he planted a small seed in Rookery's mind, almost as an afterthought. He left the hunter's mind unbelievably satisfied. It had been a very productive night.

TLV

Tony awoke early that morning, just as the sunrise filtered through the window. He thought he closed it, and then he remembered that Von was also occuping this house, too, and had possibly recovered and returned the Stone of Attamon. Tony put on his glasses and opened the drawer to his nightstand. The stone was in the drawer, and though it wasn't there when he went to bed, the drawer had been the stone's place for three months prior. Von had been there.

He changed into his clothes for the day and then walked downstairs to the breakfast table, where both his parents sat. Bob was reading the paper, and Dottie was casually sipping from a tea cup. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Tony said.

"Hey, bud," Bob replied, looking up from his paper for a moment.

Dottie set her cup on its saucer and rubbed Tony on the shoulder. "How're you today?"

"Good," Tony said.

"Good. Ready for school?"

"Yeah."

Bob set the paper down and looked at Tony earnestly. "Do you know what happened to that vampire from a couple nights ago?"

Tony shrugged. "He just disappeared, I think. He might be back."

Bob and Dottie looked at each other and then back at Tony. "You know that's bad, right?" Dottie asked, leaning toward him.

"Yeah, I know. Rudy says he's lost his mind."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Tony nodded.

"Tony, how about you eat breakfast and get ready for school. Your dad and I will talk about this."

"You can talk to the Sackville-Baggs, too."

"You know what? That sounds like a good idea," Bob said. "Thanks, bud."

"Sure, Dad."

Dottie leaned back in her chair, picking her cup up and taking a sip. Bob nodded to Tony and returned to his paper.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Hey, dude," Rudolph said with a small wave when Tony took his seat a good two seconds before the bell rang.

"Hey," Tony replied.

"You made it."

"Yeah."

Rudolph leaned in and whispered, "What are you thinking of?"

"Dracula."

He returned to his seat and nodded in understanding before returning his attention to Mr. Boggins.

TLV

Gregory was still pondering Von's plea to meet Frederick in the middle in class two days after he had given him those words. He wasn't exactly sure where half-way was. He and his father hadn't spoken since the night Dracula showed up, outside of the usual pleasantries that were now exchanged automatically.

For some reason, he remembered Rudolph's words, and much as Gregory hated to admit it, his little brother was right. Gregory had never been angry with Von. When he really thought about it, he'd never been angry at his father, but he was never willing to take the chance that Frederick might change.

He sighed softly and pushed the thoughts from his mind, or as far from his mind as the thoughts would allow, which didn't prove to be very far. I'm not going to get anywhere like this, he thought, staring at the blackboard for a moment before looking down at the book on his desk and frowning slightly. The teacher was as boring as ever, and for several long minutes, he was sorely, sorely tempted to nod off.

But then something strange happened. He spotted Rookery's truck out the window, on the road leading up to the school. He smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair.

TLV

Gregory waited patiently until the lunch break, going over every detail of the plan in his mind, and he walked out of the building while everyone else was on their way to the cafeteria. As he approached the vehichle, he noticed that the driver was still inside it. That called for a new plan.

He looked up at the school's clock tower. Forty minutes of break was left. Hardly enough time to get anywhere, but then he noticed that it was almost high noon. He walked back into the school and hid in the library until the bell rang and he had to go to his next round of classes.

TLV

Von quickly learned the rotation of the four children between the Thompson and Sackville-Bagg homes, and that night was a Sackville-Bagg night. He slipped out of the house just after twilight and checked for any presence of vampire hunters.

Rookery was on the other side of the village, but the Count and his minions were much too close for comfort. Von turned and walked toward the Sackville-Bagg house, carefully monitoring the vampires while staying out of their awareness as much as possible. Other humans who may have seen him most likely took him for a strange dresser, but not a vampire.

He walked into the village and looked in the direction of McAshton Castle, alight and with bagpipe music drifting down from the hill. If he looked carefully, he could see people drifting into and out of the castle for various reasons. It looked like a party.

Then he reached out with his mind again. Many of the fledglings, including the two locals, were gathered near this castle. He suddenly turned toward his path and quickened his pace. First things first, check on the kids. Then check on the partygoers.

He knocked on the door of the Sackville-Bagg home, and Gregory answered almost immediately. "What is it?" he asked. "You look like you're ready to rip someone open."

"I might have to, but I have to make sure you're alright first before I do so," Von replied.

"Why?"

"Because they're still here, and that party that dandy McAshton is hosting is surrounded by them."

Gregory knit his brow and gestured for Von to come inside. He shut the door behind them and whispered, "Rookery was at the school today."

"He's trying to determine which vampires you're harboring so that if the ones closest to you are murdered, you'll crack and tell him who else you're involved with. It's a ploy to eliminate every vampire from McAshtonland."

"If we could get to the Count, then the fledglings under him would disperse to large cities where they could hunt unnoticed."

"But Rookery doesn't realise that." Yet, Von added silently.

"I'd believe that."

Von turned toward the living room. Tony and Rudolph sat on the sofa, and Anna in the recliner. Rudolph and Anna were sharing what Americans apparently called "war stories" about their time as vampires for Tony's benefit. He nodded and turned toward Gregory. "Take care of them, because you know your parents will ask."

"I know."

"Your bruise is looking better."

"Thanks."

Von smiled and walked out the front door. One item on his nightly to-do list down, one to go.

He turned into a bat and flew at a leisurely pace toward McAshton Castle. No point drawing attention to himself.

The party was in full swing by the time he wove his way into the rafters through various nooks and crannies and roosted on a beam over the dance hall. He noticed Bob, Dottie, Frederick, and Freda on one of the landings, talking over champaigne and lauging every now and again like every other partygoer in that room.

Then he spotted someone out of the ordinary, a silent, pale man in a nice suit that didn't match well with his feral eyes.

The Count.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Dracula locked eyes with Von, a bonechilling stare which Von struggled not to show the effects of. His enemy wasn't to know what he made him feel.

Dracula looked away from the rafters and walked out of the dance hall. Von looked at the four familiar faces, and he wasn't the only one that had noticed the strange figure in attendance. Frederick was the first to notice, and he soon told the others. All four caught glimpses of him before he left the room.

Von scanned the dance hall. The most well-fitting suit and kilt belonged to a man in his thirties with short, neatly combed red hair who was chatting amiably in a light Scottish accent to a few other men in similar dress, though Von couldn't guess at what the discussion was about. Not that he would care, anyway.

He looked at the four on the landing again. They were talking in more hushed tones than everyone else, most likely about the Count.

Von realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could try to get out, or he could try to make his appearance, but he was certain that either action would earn him unwanted attention from two equally undesirable groups: the partygoers, and the Count's army of feral vampires and untrained fledglings.

He shifted on his feet and tilted his head toward the crowd in an effort to distract himself from his terrifying thoughts. Frederick and Bob had separated from Freda and Dottie and drifted to a point below him. Bob looked up and then did a double take; then he turned to Frederick and pointed to the bat. "Friend of yours?" he asked.

Frederick looked up and nodded. "Von," he replied.

"How's it feel for him to be back all of a sudden?"

"Strange, to say the least. We haven't been able to discuss the subject at length as of yet."

Bob nodded in understanding. "Speaking of, I heard you and Gregory haven't spoken a meaningful word to each other in two days."

"From whom have you heard that?"

"Rudolph." Frederick took a sip of his champaigne and stepped forward. "You two really haven't been speaking, have you?"

"Not per se."

"Okay, what does that mean?"

"Gregory never was incredibly talkative, especially regarding his feelings toward other people."

"So...he hates you?"

"One could argue that, yes."

"Oooo-kay. What else could one argue?"

"I can't say for certain. For all outward appearances, Gregory hates me. I suspect something else is going on, but I can't fathom what that could be."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"On multiple occasions."

"Well, it probably doesn't help that you punched him in the face."

"True," Frederick said flatly.

Bob took a step forward. "I'm typically not one to meddle-"

"But you're about to start meddling."

"If you don't want my advice, don't use it, but if I were you, that's where I'd start." Bob nodded to Frederick nad walked around the dance hall to join his wife, who was talking to a few other women.

Frederick chewed his lip. Initiating a conversation with Gregory about such a personal subject at that particular moment seemed impossible, especially to someone like him who had experience with his eldest child. But someone had to start somewhere or nothing would get done.

Freda walked over to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. The two seemed, at least to Von, apart from the party, as if in a bubble.

The clock struck twelve.

TLV

Anna had nodded off, and Rudolph and Tony were talking about some of Rudolph's adventures. Gregory prepped his check-in speech for his father, and then he heard the clock strike twelve. High noon and midnight hadn't been good times for him historically speaking, so he locked the front and back doors and every window within reach. Rudolph and Tony hadn't asked questions, at least to him directly. Gregory thought he heard the two boys briefly discussing the matter amongst themselves.

He walked into the living room and peered out the blinds into the darkness beyond. On the hill, McAshton Castle was still alight with the party, and he thought he saw fog swirling in the light, or perhaps dust. With a creased brow, he let the blinds fall back into place and took a step back. Then he walked into the kitchen and plucked the phone out of its cradle and dialled a number.

"G-Gregory?" Frederick asked.

"Is anything strange going on over there?" Gregory asked, walking back into the living room and peering out the window at McAshton Castle.

"Strange?"

"Yes. Are there any unusual guests, or people behaving like guests?"

"What constitutes as unusual?"

"Vampiric."

"We've had a strange guest here earlier, using your definition. The Count, I believe."

"Himself?"

"I can't be sure if I'm to be believed on that matter, but I certainly believe so."

"Anyone else?"

"No. Why are you asking this?"

"I think I see fog or dust at McAshton Castle."

"What?"

"I can't be sure, considering my distance, but I can tell something is swirling around in the light."

"Have you locked the doors and windows?"

"Yes."

"Good work, Gregory."

After a moment, he worked up the courage to say, "Thanks," albeit in a mangled voice.

Frederick hung up, and Gregory walked into the kitchen to replace the phone in its cradle. Rudolph and Tony were looking at him. "Any news?" Rudolph asked.

"The Count seems to be in attendance at McAshton Castle," Gregory replied. "Other than that, nothing seems to be happening, at least nothing of note."

Rudolph nodded, and he and Tony settled into the back of the room to talk amongst themselves. Gregory returned to the living room and settled into the sofa, his legs sprawled out and his arms folded across his chest.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Frederick pocketed his phone and turned toward his wife. "How is he?" she asked.

"Doing well. He's locked the doors and windows," he replied.

"Good." Frederick scanned the dance hall. "Who are you looking for?"

"The Count."

"Is he here?"

"I hope not."

Von twitched at the sound of Frederick's voice. To his honed and trained ears, it sounded as if he were afraid of something, something Von wasn't familiar with in his brother. Of course, the Count could strike fear in anyone, whether he wished it or not.

Frederick turned away from the dance hall. "No sign of him," he said.

"That's good, right?"

"Yes, it is. It's getting late. Perhaps we should take our leave."

Freda looked across the dance hall at Bob and Dottie and then nodded to her husband.

TLV

The sight of a bat followed by a flash of light first made Gregory leap out of his seat and stumble backward into the coffee table. The relief that filled him when he spotted Von's face in the window made him sink to his knees. His head fell back, his eyes closed, and a heavy sigh escaped his lungs.

Von slipped in through the locked door with a grin on his face, chuckling. "You can't believe how happy I am to see you," Gregory said.

Von laughed and helped Gregory to his feet. The boy leaned against his uncle, his knees still weak. "Your parents are on there way home, as are the Thompsons," Von whispered, stroking Gregory's hair. "How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know anymore."

"When will you know?"

"I'm not sure."

"I know about the exchange you and your father had earlier, and I have to say I'm impressed. Important ground has been broken."

"Is it enough?"

"A start is always enough to get something going."

The sound of a car pulling up could be heard, and Von and Gregory pulled apart. Gregory unlocked the door to his parents and Tony's, and both he and Von noticed the same strange thing at the same time.

A fledgling kept pace behind Frederick, and Von shot forward. He pushed his brother to the side and down just as the fledgling made his first quick move. A pair of simultaneously ice cold and white hot fangs seared into Von's neck.

The fledgling knew at once what had gone wrong and disappeared. Bob and Frederick knelt beside Von, who clutched his neck. "What do we do? What do we do?" Bob asked.

"There's garlic juice in the kitchen," Frederick said at once.

"What?"

"Trust me." Frederick disappeared inside the house, to return moments later with a bottle and a washcloth. He dampened the cloth with the contents of the bottle and pressed it to Von's neck, over the wound. Von screamed in agony for a brief moment before panting and laying his hand over Frederick's. "This is good. We responded quickly enough."

"What are you talking about?"

"Little known fact: vampires occasionally die from bites from other vampires."

"But he's gonna be okay, right?"

"Yes, he is."

"Okay, that's good."

"It's begun," Von rasped. "The Harvest."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"What's he talking about?" Bob asked.

"We have to get him inside," Frederick said. Bob opened his mouth to speak, but Frederick pulled Von to his feet and led him inside. Bob, Dottie, Freda, and Gregory followed, and Tony and Rudolph appeared out of the kitchen and watched, Rudolph worried and Tony slightly confused.

"What's going on?" Rudolph asked, catching up with Gregory. Frederick helped Von onto the sofa.

"Von's been attacked," Gregory replied.

"Is it bad?"

"He's still conscious, so I don't believe so."

To Rudolph, Von seemed paler than a vampire should be, hollow and weak. The light began to fade from his eyes, and his breathing was clearly labored. "They're coming for us," Von managed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What is he talking about?" Rudolph asked.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound good," Gregory replied.

TLV

Gregory puzzled over Von's words off and on until the next morning. He vaguely remembered hearing something like them before, but he couldn't recall the exact details. The fog created by the stone was stil thick in some places.

He sighed and let his forehead fall to the table. "Are you alright?" Freda asked.

"I've been trying for the past several hours to remember where I heard Von's words before and come up empty," Gregory replied. "Would you happen to know anything useful?" He picked his head up off the table.

"Actually...I can't readily think of anything."

"Thanks for trying."

"Of course."

Gregory straightened up. "Did Von say anything specific when he was attacked?"

"I believe he said something about a harvest?"

"Now that's something I know the origins of." All four sets of eyes at the table turned to him, but he remained focused on his mother. "It's an old practice only the Count does regularly, or at all. He recruits an army of fledglings, picks a sufficiently large city, and says, 'Have fun.' Of course, usually it's a short little deal and nothing to terribly horrible happens, but if the Count has a target, the results could be different."

"And this time he does have a target," Rudolph said. "The Stone of Attamon. And he's going to kill to get to it."

TLV

Tony paled when Rudolph explained everything that had happened up to that point in the ten minutes they had before class was to start. "Tony, we could hide the stone for you."

"But you said he was gonna kill us," Tony said.

"I don't want you to be a target."

"Me, either."

"Well, we certainly are in a pickle, then."

"Somebody's gotta know something."

"I know."

Mr. Boggins walked into the classroom, and the boys shut up immediately. Rudolph passed Tony a note which read, 'We'll discuss this later'.

TLV

At lunch, Rudolph, Anna, and Tony gathered at a small corner table and talked in hushed tones, going over everything that had just happened. "If we hid the stone at our house, then Tony won't be a target," Anna said brightly. "He'll be safe."

"But you guys won't," Tony said. "Remember, this weirdo's gonna kill us to get it. What good is it if I'm safe but all you guys aren't?"

"Logistically speaking, that's a good point," Rudolph said.

"It's worth a shot, though," Anna said.

"But can we afford to we take the risk?" Anna fell silent and looked down at her tray. "I'm sorry, but there's a lot to consider in this matter."

"I know."

"Why did Von jump after the stone?" Tony asked. Both siblings looked at him, eyes wide.

"To...to catch it," Rudolph replied.

"Yeah, but why?"

Anna turned to Rudolph and said something in a strange language Tony figured he had no hope of understanding. Rudolph nodded and turned back to Tony. "Von guards the stone. It's his job. He takes care of it and makes sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Oh. So, if it's his job to guard the stone, maybe he can help us."

The two siblings turned to each other, and then Rudolph said, "I think I know where you're going with this, but remember, he's sick."

"He doesn't have to guard it, just tell us what to do."

The two siblings exchanged looks again, and then they nodded to Tony. "Alright," Rudolph said. "We'll talk to him."

"Okay."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Rudolph and Anna waited by Von's side in the basement until finally, fifteen minutes after sunset, he stirred. He turned his face toward them and smiled. "How are you two today?" he whispered.

"We're good," Rudolph said, "but we have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"The Stone of Attamon is at Tony's, and we're concerned about his being a target of the Count because of it."

"Ah."

"We were hoping you, considering your position, might have a solution."

"Rudolph, it doesn't matter where the stone is. The Count will find it, and the harder you try to stop him, the greater the cost of human life." Rudolph nodded. "Nothing changes. Ever." Rudolph nodded again.

Von looked over at Anna and took her hand. "Don't fear, child," he whispered. "I may be weak, but it will be a cold day in hell before I let the stone or that boy fall to harm." Anna nodded, struggling against her tears, and Rudolph wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Von turned his eyes toward the ceiling, and then they flicked over to the left. Rudolph and Anna exchanged looks; clearly he was responding to something only he could hear. "V-Von?" Rudolph whispered. Von held up a hand.

"Hush," he whispered. The vampire closed his eyes and let out a soft breath. For a long moment, he didn't move. Anna leaned in toward Rudolph, and Rudolph reached out to touch Von, but something stopped him. Finally, Von opened his eyes. "Do you feel anything strange?"

"Specific to this very instant or something like what's been going on for the past week?" Rudolph asked.

"Do you feel them?" Rudolph and Anna knew what Von was asking at once and nodded.

"Sometimes," Rudolph said. "I think we've gotten used to it."

Von nodded. His breathing became more labored, and his eyes were heavy. "Von, are you alright?" Anna asked. "Do you need help?" Von looked up at the siblings and nodded.

"It's time I feed," he rasped.

Rudolph and Anna each slung one of Von's arms around their shoulders and pulled him from the chest. He tried to move his feet along with them, but his head was spinning too fast for him to focus on anything else. The two siblings drug him out of the basement, then out the front door and down the path to the barn.

Rudolph and Anna moved to release Von so he could try to lure the cow to sleep, but Von sank to his knees, almost pulling the siblings down with him. They pulled him to his feet and led him over to the cow, and Von tore his way into the cow's arteries. He turned to the cow as a support, allowing the siblings to step back and watch.

Rudolph knit his brow and walked over to the door, peering out of the crack at the flashing red light on the silhouette of the truck. "Anna," he whispered urgently. His sister was soon at his side, staring at the same blinking red light.

"What do we do?" Anna asked. "We can't just leave. We'll be noticed, especially if we fly."

Rudolph looked back at Von. "He couldn't get away as easily as we could. Rookery can track him. Unless there's nothing to track."

"Do you think he can, in his state?"

Rudolph looked back at the blinking red dot. "He'll have to try. If we can distract Rookery just long enough, maybe he can get out."

"Are you two plotting?" Von asked, leaning in toward them. He lay his hands on their shoulders and stared at the red light.

"We're trying to figure away from Rookery."

"I have a plan. Now, if you remember, there's a little trick I know that's gotten me out of numerous close calls with vampire hunters in the past, long ago. Do you remember?" The siblings nodded.

"It's the fog thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Now, all you need to do is walk out in front of that truck and distract Rookery. I'll handle the rest."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked.

"Positive."

Rudolph and Anna looked at each other and nodded. Von squeezed their shoulders, and they walked out of the barn and onto the road. Anna took Rudolph's hand as they walked. Rudolph looked at the truck, his stomach heavy, and then he looked back at the barn, where Von waited. Von, I hope you know what you're doing, he thought.

Von nodded.

Rudolph looked back at the truck, and he and Anna stopped. "Here goes nothing," he whispered. Rookery switched on the lights, and Rudolph looked at Von a second time.

The truck approached, and Rudolph squeezed his sister's hand.

Von took a deep breath and pushed himself forward. His body dissolved into mist, and in seconds Rudolph and Anna were off the ground. The truck turned and followed, and Von was forced to reform his body. "This isn't going as well as I had hoped," he admitted, diving to pick up speed and then lifting himself to avoid a rock.

Rookery followed the three on a dirt road leading through the forest, all of his lights on full power. He could tell that two of the flyers were clinging to the third, clearly indicating which one was doing the flying. Which one would be his target.

Von looked over his shoulder but was forced to turn away quickly because of the pain the light caused his eyes. With two passengers and a near-death experience in recent memory and still in effect, it took all he had to avoid the majority of the lights. "What do we do?" Rudolph asked.

Von's mind flashed on an idea. "I've got it," he said, correcting his course. The truck turned to follow, taking several dirt roads until he found the right one. Rookery was a few seconds late, so Von slowed to accomodate.

"Are you sure about this?" Anna asked again.

"Like I said, I'm positive. They're here."

"Who's here?" Rudolph asked. Von banked to the right but turned left, flying in a large, slow circle around the cliff. Rookery parked and opened fire with the stake gun, and a pair of unlucky fledgling vampires standing on the cliff found themselves no more. Von dove beneath the surface line and hovered. "Who were they?"

"Romanians, poor unlucky saps who would believe I did them a favor if they understood in time."

Rookery walked to the edge of the cliff, and Von pressed against the rock. "I'll get you yet, you vermin," Rookery hissed before turning and walking away.

Von waited until he could no longer hear the truck before drifting up to the surface and landing on the grass. Rudolph and Anna let go of each other's hands and offered to help him walk back to McAshtonland, but he declined, and they walked on in silence.

TLV

Von, Rudolph, and Anna slipped inside the house without anyone noticing. Gregory's snoring was audible to the two humans on the ground floor, and Rudolph smiled to himself. Von walked back down to the basement, and the two siblings walked up to their bedrooms.

Rudolph climbed into bed with a glance in his brother's direction, and he was asleep almost instantly.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"What's this I hear about Rookery stalking my younger brother?" Gregory asked, leaning back in one of the Thompsons' patio chairs and cracking his knuckles.

"Apparently he's stalking all of us," Bob replied, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. "My son, you guys, Von, but he's got a reason to hunt Von, I guess, considering his self-proclaimed profession."

"Any indication as to what he could want?"

"None yet, that we can figure, unless it's because we're hiding Von."

Gregory raised his eyebrows and leaned forward. "And Von's here because of the Count's army of fledglings, which Rookery probably doesn't even know or care about."

"So the vicious cycle begins."

"Not yet," Frederick said from the sliding glass door. He walked out onto the patio, and Gregory leaned back again and seemed to fall into himself. Bob creased his brow slightly. "It seems, due to the lack of activity from himself and his vampires, that the Count's called off his plans to kill us because of what happened to Von, but he's waiting for the next prime opportunity. Two of his fledglings were killed last night, so I hear from Rudolph and Anna, so there's the chance that he will recruit two more. The question now is, what do we do about this?"

Frederick looked pointedly at Gregory, who swallowed and looked at Bob, who shrugged and offered a weak smile. Gregory looked down at the patio and then up at his father. "Apparently I'm supposed to have a plan," he said.

"Or at the very least an idea," Frederick replied.

"I hate to disappoint, or maybe I really don't, but I'm coming up empty."

Gregory got to his feet and walked into the house, where Rudolph, Anna, and Tony waited in the living room, discussing some war stories.

He moved toward the sofa, and then he smiled mischieviously and walked into the kitchen. He filled a glass full of water and tiptoed into the living room. He took careful aim and dumped the water all over Rudolph's head. Rudolph sputtered, wiped his eyes, and shook out his hands. "Gregory," he whined. Tony and Anna were struggling to hide their laughter. Gregory, however, made no such attempts and was laughing outright.

"I swear, you're such an easy target sometimes," he said through his laughter. He calmed down and set the glass down on the endtable. "Watch that around fledglings."

"So that's why you decided to drench me."

"No. I did that because I wanted to and thought it would be funny."

Rudolph rolled his eyes. "You're just too strange."

Gregory rubbed his brother's sopping hair. "Part of my charm, I guess." Rudolph groaned and walked into the kitchen; he returned a moment later, rubbing his face and arms down. Rudolph, Anna, and Gregory had calmed down.

"So, what did Father talk to you about?"

Gregory paused for a moment. "This mess we've gotten into," he replied. "Apparently Rookery's looking for Von and after us because we're sheltering him."

"Makes sense."

"And then there's the matter of the fledglings and this Harvest thing that's apparently going on. Father believes that the Count postponed it because of what happened to Von."

"Again, makes sense."

"But how do we deal with it?"

Rudolph and Anna looked at each other, and Tony's face was blank. Rudolph locked eyes with his brother. "I don't know what to say," he said with a shrug. "We just have to wait."

TLV

Von's eyes fluttered open, and he stretched and let out a yawn. It'd been a long time since he woke feeling this good. He climbed out of the chest and walked upstairs, pausing at the door to see what was going on in the house, which was completely silent. He walked into the foyer and looked every which way, even reaching out with his mind. The house was empty.

He walked forcefully out the front door and took to the skies. He continuously felt with his mind, and then he found the Sackville-Baggs at the Thompson home. With a sigh of relief, he banked toward the house, flew in a semi-circle, and landed on the balcony. He knocked on Tony's window, and the boy let him in. The three Sackville-Bagg children watched him, Gregory especially. "You expect me to know exactly how to deal with these fledglings," Von whispered, "and I don't."

Gregory nodded slowly. "We'll think of something," Rudolph said. Von smiled softly, and then he looked around the room.

"So far as I can judge, Rookery hasn't followed us yet, and the Count hasn't given the word to attack. We're safe, for now."

"For now?" Gregory asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean in ten minutes, fledglings are going to show up at our door to kill us and take the stone?"

"Possibly."

"Oh, you're a huge help."

"I've never known you to take it."

Gregory rolled his eyes, but Tony, Anna, and Rudolph exchanged looks. Rudolph nodded, and they walked out of the room, leaving Gregory and Von alone.

Von walked over and rested a hand on Gregory's shoulder. Gregory breathed and leaned into Von, who wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders.

TLV

Rudolph and Anna rifled through the kitchen, finding a bottle of garlic powder and some table salt. "Will this help us?" Tony asked, holding up the salt container.

"It should," Rudolph replied, reaching for the fridge and removing a couple of almost-empty bottles. "If anything, it will purify the water." He filled the bottles and poured salt into each of them, then shaking each thoroughly. He reached for the fridge again and removed another bottle, pouring the contents down the drain, rinsing it, and filling it with water. He poured some garlic powder into the bottle and shook it as thoroughly as he did the salt water bottles.

"Shouldn't we label those?"

"Vampires can tell the difference."

"Can we?"

"It doesn't matter. Purified water and homemade garlic juice have generally the same end result as far as we're concerned. Where's your bookbag?" Tony walked into the living room, picked up his backpack, and returned to the kitchen. Rudolph put the bottles and containers of salt and garlic powder into the backpack alongside Tony's schoolbooks. "That should do it," Rudolph said. "Make sure the bag never leaves your side. Understood?" Tony nodded. Rudolph raised his eyebrows, much like his father did. Tony nodded again. "It's extremely important." Tony nodded a third time. "Good." Tony took the bag and slung it over his shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Tony, where's the salt?" Dottie asked the next morning, rummaging around the cabinet above the stove.

"In my backpack," Tony replied.

Dottie turned toward her son. "What's it doing in there?"

"It was Rudolph's idea. I guess it's about all those vampires."

"Oh, boy," Bob muttered to the kitchen table, not looking up from his paper and cup of coffee. Tony hoisted the backpack onto the table, opened it, and pulled out the salt container, handing it to his mother, who poured some into a frying pan. She set the salt on the table and returned to the scramble. Without anyone's noticing, Tony put the salt back in his backpack.

TLV

Rudolph picked at his breakfast and chewed his lower lip. Gregory had a good point. Fledglings could knock on their door at any given moment, given that it was between the hours of sunset and sunrise and they had been given the order. Considering the incident with Von, that seemed unlikely any time soon, but he couldn't be entirely sure, ever.

Von seemed to be returning to full health quickly, but he'd just fed. Of course he would feel better. Von still seemed weak, though. He couldn't sustain himself as fog for very long, and he flew more slowly than Rudolph remembered him being able to. Von was still feeling the effects of the attack.

Rudolph couldn't remember the last vampire he knew who got attacked by another vampire, but he heard rumors of those who have. The vampires were reported dead or never heard of again after the attacks.

"Rudolph? Are you alright?" Freda asked.

"Yeah, I'm just a little distracted," Rudolph replied, glancing up from his plate. "A lot's been going on lately."

"I can imagine," Frederick said. Out of the corner of his eye, Rudolph noticed that Gregory flinched.

"Von was able to feed last night."

"Oh, good," Freda said.

"He's getting better, but some of the easier things he can do are straining him."

"That's to be expected. He will be well."

Rudolph nodded and returned to his breakfast.

TLV

Gregory spent most of the day watching for any sign that Rookery was watching them, which he found almost immediately when he spotted the truck at the edge of the campus just before class started. He made careful notes of the incident and then attempted to return his attention to his teacher, but his mind was too occupied to do more than pretend.

He passed through the day deep in thought. Von was still weak; he felt that the previous night, when Von leaned on him slightly to support himself. The fledglings were ever-elusive, and the current theory was that Rookery was after them in order to get to Von.

There seemed to be no way out of this mess. Everyone in life, death, and somewhere in between was after his family and the Thompsons.

A strange thought occurred to him, almost completely irrelevant to the current situation. How was Von going to be reintroduced to the rest of the clan? He could show up at a family reunion and say hello, which was about the most obvious and logical thing to do but which would cause the most potent reaction.

The more Gregory puzzled over the matter, the more he realized that that was perhaps the only way to do it. Clean, precise, and efficient. And symbolically fitting.

At one point, he shook his head. Why was he thinking of that, of all things? There was so much else to worry about, and he couldn't bring himself to think about it very much. He sighed. This was getting overwhelming, and he thought of talking to his father, but such an idea was almost laughable. He wasn't even sure if his father would care, regardless of what Frederick said or would say, and that made the mess even trickier to Gregory.

At around eleven thirty, he walked into the lunchroom and took a seat at the nearest table, not really knowing or caring who was around him. He buried his face in his hands and wished it was absolutely quiet, though he couldn't make out any sounds floating around him. His mind was so busy it was rebelling against him, but he had another half of the schoolday to live through before he could go home and crash.

Heavy footsteps attracted his attention, and Gregory locked eyes with Rookery, who paused in the doorway with a cigar in his mouth. Every fiber of Gregory's being told him to run as fast and as hard as he could, but he was frozen. Rookery approached the table and sat across from him, snubbing out his cigar on the table and giving Gregory a once-over. Finally, Gregory turned and ran out of the cafeteria.

He sprinted down the road until he was out of view of the school and that hideous, haunting truck, and he turned to the ditch, sank to his knees, wrapped his arms around his stomach, and waited for his nausea to pass.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Gregory, Rudolph, Anna, and Tony gathered in Rudolph and Gregory's bedroom, and all four were silent after Gregory finished describing Rookery's appearance in the school cafeteria. Gregory lay on his brother's bed and stared up at the ceiling. Rudolph didn't for an instant protest.

"Rookery's getting bolder," Anna said. The boys looked at her. "He's starting to approach. He's certain we're harboring a vampire, and he wants us to prove it. Soon he's going to make verbal contact, asking us questions about the vampire and seeing if we give him any clues."

"Well, this is elaborate," Gregory replied flatly, turning his eyes back up to the ceiling.

"Tony, are you still packed?" Rudolph asked. Tony nodded. "Good. Remember, Rookery's the least of our problems."

"Rookery's human," Anna added.

"Yes, but that means he potentially has all twenty-four hours available to him," Gregory said. "Vampires only have the hours between dawn and dusk."

"But they make up for it with speed and efficiency," Rudolph replied. "At least, most of them do. I've heard of some who were...deficient."

"You guys hear of a lot of things," Tony said.

"Happens when you live for three hundred years." Tony shrugged and nodded. "Now," Rudolph said. "We're still ready for them to arrive, and Von is on the mend, so if they're going to make their move, the Count may as well give the order."

"But we're expecting him," Gregory said. "He's waiting for us to lower our guard, and when, or if, we do, he'll strike."

"How long can he wait?" Tony asked.

"Only until the next full moon, but he could potentially try something between now and the new moon. If he's bold enough and thinks he can control the forces he's trying to summon."

"How big of an 'if' is that, Greg?" Rudolph asked.

"Knowing the Count, it's almost fact."

TLV

Rudolph jolted awake, and it didn't take long for him to figure out why. Someone was pounding on the front door. He reached over and shook Tony awake. "Huh? What?" Tony asked, but Rudolph was already shaking his brother out of his slumber.

"Rudolph, what's going on?" Gregory asked, his voice laden with sleep.

"Someone's at the door," Rudolph whispered. Then he turned and walked out the door and down the hall to Anna's room.

Gregory rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at Tony, who shrugged in repsonse. Rudolph returned with a half-asleep Anna in tow and looked between his best friend and his older brother. The knock came again, and the four looked at each other. "I'll get it," Gregory said.

He walked downstairs and glanced out the window before going to the door. In the distance, he could hear the clock strike twelve. Midnight.

He reached for the doorknob, but he let his hand fall to his side. He didn't want to take any chances. Gregory grabbed a knife from the kitchen and returned to the door. He reached for the knob and readied the knife, and then he wrenched the door open.

Rookery stepped back and held his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Be careful with that thing."

"I'll be careful with the knife if you be careful with the stake launcher," Gregory replied, narrowing his eyes.

Rookery lowered his hands and took a step forward; Gregory didn't lower his weapon, only tightened his fingers around the knife handle. Rookery stopped and glared at the knife. Then he took another step forward and knocked Gregory to the ground.

Gregory's sole focus became keeping hold of the knife, and when Rookery came at him again, he thrust forward, driving the knife up to the handle in the vampire hunter's guts. When he pulled the knife out, Rookery sank to his knees, clutching his bleeding torso. "You sick little vampire sympathizer," Rookery snarled. "Who do you think you're protecting by killing me?"

"For one, myself," Gregory replied evenly. "Besides, you might live. If I intended to kill you, you'd be dead right now. As it is at this current moment, you risk bleeding out all over Father's nice carpet, and he'll likely find a way to resurrect you just so he can kill you again. If I were you, I'd get to a hospital as quickly as possible. If you want to press charges, that's fine. I'll just tell everyone you're crazy, and considering your track record, it won't be that hard to believe."

Rookery's hand shot up and latched on to Gregory's wrist, twisting it hard. Gregory sank to his knees and leaned back, staring up at Rookery. Rookery reached for the knife, but Gregory tightened his fingers around it, in spite of himself. Rookery raised his fist, and Gregory heard something that made his eyes widen and his grip threaten to loosen.

"Get your dirty hands off my son," Frederick hissed.

Rookery turned, his grip on Gregory's wrist loosening. Gregory used the opportunity to pull himself free and turn himself around, the knife at the ready. Frederick walked slowly down the stairs, his eyes cold and hard like stone. It occurred to Gregory that these weren't the eyes of the man who struck him.

Frederick reached the bottom of the stairwell, and Rookery was half-way out the door. "Get the hell out of my house, and if you ever come back again, I won't bother with the police. I'll take care of you myself." Rookery nodded and stumbled out the door.

Gregory dropped the knife. Frederick reached out to touch him, but he stepped back. "So it's okay for you to punch me, but it isn't okay for anyone else to?" Gregory snapped. "Alright, I get it."

"Gregory-."

"Don't. Just...don't." Gregory stormed past his father and up the stairs to the bathroom. He washed his hands off quickly but as thoroughly as he could manage, dried them hastily, and returned to his room. "Everything's taken care of," he said to the others. "You can go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Rudolph asked. Gregory nodded. Anna looked at Rudolph and then walked out of the bedroom. Rudolph lay beside Tony, and Gregory collapsed into his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

TLV

Frederick walked over and picked up the blood-stained knife, and he studied it for a while, twisting it around in his hands lightly to avoid cutting himself. Gregory, he thought. Gregory.

He sighed, walked into the kitchen, and rinsed the knife off in the kitchen sink, and then he dried it off and returned it to the knife drawer.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Gregory spent a long time in bed, lying awake and trying to hide himself from the world. Trying to hide himself from his pain.

Frederick had saved him the previous night, yes, but it expressed more of a double standard than an act of valor in Gregory's eyes. Even worse, he couldn't be sure which hurt more: the fact that his father refused to admit his mistakes, every last one of them, and say that he loved him, or the fact that Frederick tried to make up for it in the way he did.

Gregory sighed and tried to ignore the pain that threatened to consume him. All he wanted was to talk to his father, make sure Frederick understood that Gregory needed him, as a father and not just an ambiguous figure in his life.

He forced the thoughts from his mind, adamantly refusing to give credence to Rudolph's theory, even if his little brother was right, and he was. Painfully so.

He shook his head and stared at the ceiling, and it was at this point that Rudolph walked into the room. "What do you want?" Gregory asked. He wanted to sound angry, but he knew even as he said it that he was failing miserably.

Rudolph sat on the edge of Gregory's bed and said, "I'd ask you the same thing, but what I really want to know is if you're alright. I heard about what happened last night."

"How much?"

"Enough to know that something is going wrong somewhere."

"Well, what's your theory?"

"My theory is that you're not talking to each other, for whatever reason, and that's what's creating the disconnect you and Father have."

"So what do you want me to do? Walk up to him and randomly pour out my feelings? Sorry, Rudy, but that's not how I work."

"And we all know that. Start small, maybe in the middle of a car ride or something, when you're alone. Don't expect to be able to say everything, just with something small."

"Like?"

"I don't know you that well, Greg." Gregory sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. "Your bruise is looking better."

"Shut up."

"You shut up. You're the one constantly ignoring the facts. I swear, Gregory, you're impossible to deal with sometimes."

"Oh, I'm impossible? You want to know what's impossible? Father and his impossible to understand hypocrisy. He tries to save me, but he seems to think it's okay to hit me, and don't get me going on his cowardice. I just don't get it, and quite frankly, I don't want to. What's the point? It's not like it's going to make matters any better."

"What if you're wrong?"

"What if Father's wrong? Do you ever think about that? Does he ever think about that?" Gregory had by then propped himself up on his elbow. "Well? Answer me." Rudolph opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound would come out. "That's what I thought," Gregory said, falling onto his back.

TLV

Frederick leaned against the wall, tilting his head back so that he wouldn't cry. He shook his head; he had no idea how bad the situation had become.

He took a deep breath, forcing his mind to clear. Then he walked down the stairs to the kitchen and settled in to read the morning paper, more in an effort to distract himself than anything else.

TLV

Tony, for some strange reason, felt compelled to go down to the basement right after his father left for work and his mother to run errands. The basement smelled of vampires, though he knew for a fact that Von hadn't returned to his place in it. Someone had, though.

Tony combed the basement, checking every concievable hiding place a vampire could fit in. Then he came to the hiding place Frederick had borrowed, and he pulled the cover back. Underneath lay Lord McAshton, though he looked like he'd been dead for several years. Tony jerked back and yelped softly. Then he turned to Von's hiding place, which also smelled strongly of death. He opened the chest gingerly, and he yelped and shot back again. Inside the chest lay the caretaker.

Tony turned and ran up the stairs to the kitchen, where he hastily dialed a phone number.

TLV

"Rudolph, telephone for you," Anna said, holding the phone and walking into the bedroom. She handed the phone to him and added, "It's Tony. He says it's urgent."

Rudolph nodded and turned to the phone. "Tony, what is it?" he asked.

"Dude, you gotta get over here," Tony said. His breathing was heavy.

"What happened?"

"Get down here, and bring Anna and Gregory."

"Um...alright...we'll...we'll be right over." Rudolph hung up without another word and then looked at his siblings. "We should go. I don't know what it is, but we should go."

TLV

Rudolph, Anna, Gregory, and Tony walked into the basement, and Tony revealed the two sleeping fledglings he had discovered hiding there. Rudolph and Anna exchanged looks, and Gregory rubbed his face and asked, "Alright, now what?"

"Gregory, this is a complex issue," Rudolph replied almost snappishly. "First Rookery, and now this? We can't deal with this all by ourselves. We have to talk to someone."

"What are you implying?"

"Oh, for the love of... Will you shut up?" Gregory merely rolled his eyes, folded his arms across his chest, and turned away. Rudolph turned back to Tony. "We're being tracked down on two fronts for two very different reasons. We don't need a hastily-cobbled-together, how you Americans say, half-baked scheme; that's the last thing we need." Rudolph began to pace across the basement. "I know one thing for sure. We need to talk to Von. He might be weak still, but he can still help us. The question is, who else do we talk to? Considering the circumstances, I'm not sure I want to involve Father, and it might be too dangerous for Tony's parents to get involved, considering that fights between humans and vampires typically don't end well for the humans. However, we will need expert help, considering the gravity of the current situation."

"You mean...?" Gregory began, turning to face Rudolph and lowering his arms.

Rudolph stopped pacing and turned toward his siblings and Tony, and he nodded curtly. "Rookery."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Rudolph looked up at the seemingly unassuming door and took a deep breath. Rookery's truck stood as a constant reminder in the driveway, a reminder of too many things Rudolph didn't want to think about. He took another deep breath and pictured the two fledglings in Tony's basement, and then he knocked.

Rookery opened the door a moment later and studied the four kids before him with narrow eyes. He looked at Gregory and asked, "What is it this time?"

Gregory snapped, "Do you want to take our case or not? Because we'd love to find someone else, but if we do, Tony could die."

Rookery's eyes widened. "What case is that?"

"Our favorite fledglings are in his basement."

"How did they get in there?"

"I'm not sure, but is it really that relevant?"

"It could be."

"The issue isn't how they got into the basement. Part of it is why, and another part of it is how do we get them out?"

"How do I know this isn't part of your little underworld pro-vampire agenda?"

"If we want to get rid of a couple of vampires, how is that pro-vampire?" Rudolph asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rookery grunted and allowed the children to enter, and then he closed the door behind them. "First question. Are more of you hellspawns trying to turn 'human'?"

"That can only be done every three hundred years, and besides, vampires and hellspawns are totally different things." Rookery raised an eyebrow. "It's really a long, confusing story that no one really fully understands, but some of us can tell you more. Of course, I don't think you'd be that willing to listen, and I'm digressing anyway. The point is, there are two fledglings in Tony's cellar. We don't know how they got there, we have the theory that they're there for the Stone of Attamon for vague reasons, and it's in our understanding that they have a rather...colorful track record. Is that enough for you to go on?"

"Well, exactly which fledglings are we dealing with?"

"Your caretaker friend and your patron, Lord McAshton," Gregory said.

"Well, that certainly changes things."

"No shit, Sherlock."

Rookery narrowed his eyes. "Tell me which one you're hiding."

Gregory's eyes hardened, but his voice remained cool. "I'll only do that if you help us."

"No, no. You first."

"Then we'll risk the boy's life."

Rudolph shot a look toward Tony, desperately hoping he communicated the opposite of his brother's sentiment to his friend. "You better be lucky," Rookery said coldly, smiling. "This might be too much of a gamble for you."

"You really are as coldhearted as I expected," Gregory muttered. "Tony is fully human and never once was a vampire. You don't want to lose one to the dark side, do you? Or is that another casualty of war?" Rookery shifted his weight back and pursed his lips. "You don't want to risk a human's life, do you? You'll risk us ex-vampires, but you won't risk the human. Well, guess what. Neither will we.

"As to the vampire we're hiding, chances are, if things continue in this direction, you'll get an eye-full. Of this I can assure you. That had better suit you because on this I will not budge."

Rookery chewed his lip, and then he said, "You're driving an awfully hard bargain."

"Are you going to help us or not?"

"I need a guarantee that this vampire of yours is going to show up."

"What am I, a fortune-teller?"

"Well, if you can't do that, then tell me who he is."

"Why? So you can kill him?"

"Yes, exactly."

Gregory merely shrugged. "We'll take our business elsewhere, then." He walked past Rookery to the front door, followed closely by Rudolph, Anna, and Tony.

"You don't...really mean all that about Von, do you?" Rudolph asked several feet down the road.

"I never intended to reveal Von to him. The original plan was to get him to help us through use of Tony's predicament," Gregory replied. "Since that didn't work, we have to think of something else."

"You're not gonna let me die, are you?" Tony asked.

"No, we're not," Rudolph replied. "You're safe with us."

"Okay."

"We just need to figure out what we're going to do about the fledglings. Since Plan A is out the window, we'll need to talk to Von and wing it."

"Then what?"

"Well, I'm really not sure. That's the bad thing about winging it. You have to see how things play out."

TLV

"What?" Von asked, eyes wide.

"The fledglings are in Tony's basement," Rudolph replied.

Von pulled himself to his feet. "Show me." He followed Rudolph out of the Sackville-Bagg home and down the street to Tony's. Rudolph glanced around the castle. The car was in its usual place, meaning the Thompsons were home.

"Be careful," Rudolph whispered. "I don't want anything to happen to them."

"I know."

"They're in the cellar."

Von nodded and disappeared through a crack in the wall.

TLV

Von emerged in the kitchen and walked straight to the door to the cellar. However, he didn't reach for the door knob and instead backtracked to the stairwell leading to the second floor. He took the steps carefully, listening for any disturbances.

He stopped on the landing and turned toward the balcony overlooking the living room and foyer. The door to the Thompsons' bedroom was ajar, and there was the faint smell of vampires. He walked up the rest of the stairs and peered into the bedroom. Bob and Dottie slept soundly, and hovering over them were the caretaker and Lord McAshton. "Robert, Dottie," Von yelled. The fledglings looked at him in unison, and Bob and Dottie jumped and looked around.

Dottie looked up at the vampires and pushed back. "Bob," she yelled.

"Oh, my God," Bob whispered, staring up at the vampires, transfixed.

Von shot forward and pulled the two out of the bed. "Run," he said. "Get out of the house. Go to the Sackville-Baggs." But the second they crossed the threshold of the bedroom, the fledglings shot toward them. Von held his arms out and hissed. The caretaker stumbled back first, pulling Lord McAshton back with him. The fledglings exchanged looks, and then they lunged toward Von.

Von braced himself for another set of fangs deep in his neck, and he waited. When the time was right, he shoved the fledgings back, sending them through the window. Then he turned to Bob and Dottie and gestured for them to follow him down the stairs.

TLV

Rudolph's eyes shot to the two adults walking out the front door, and he jogged up to join them. Bob looked over his shoulder at the castle, and then he looked back down the road. Rudolph's stomach grew heavy as he walked.

TLV

Von transformed into a bat just after Bob and Dottie walked out of the castle and flew up to the bedroom after the fledglings, who were flying toward the cliff. Von followed at a distance and kept himself as quiet as possible. The fledglings landed, and Von noticed the Count descending from a column of smoke. He roosted in the nearest tree.

The fledglings knelt before the Count, who said in a voice that sounded more like a drawn-out snarl than anything else. "I take it you've allowed two victims to slip away from you?"

"Forgive us," the caretaker said in a shaky voice. Huge mistake, Von thought.

"Enough from you. The Harvest is to begin with the guardians of the Stone of Attamon. They should not be alive right now." Neither fledgling dared to say anything. "Go back and finish what you've started." The fledglings nodded, and the Count dismissed them. They left the cliff more quickly than they had come.

Count Dracula morphed into a wolf and took off toward McAshtonland. Von followed at a greater distance than he had used with the fledglings. The wolf reached the outskirts of McAshtonland and returned to human form. Von continued to follow in his silent bat form. Dracula walked toward the Thompson castle, and Von kept close behind.

Dracula inhaled deeply and then let out a low chuckle, then he walked over and elevated himself to Tony's balcony. Von transformed into a humanoid again and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to stop you."

Dracula turned toward Von and grinned like a madman.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Frederick walked down the stairwell and knit his brow as he followed Rudolph, Bob, and Dottie with his eyes. They walked into the foyer and then the kitchen.

Then Frederick's eyes drifted to Gregory, who leaned against the wall next to the door, his arms folded across his chest.

Gregory watched Frederick finish his descent, and Rudolph's words came to mind. He swallowed, and when his father was close enough, he said, "I don't want to be saved, and I don't want a coward for a father."

Frederick nodded. "I can figure that," he whispered.

Gregory turned toward the window and then looked back of his father. "Where's Von?"

"I thought he returned to the Thompsons."

Gregory looked out the window again. "Perhaps he did. I'm going to check it out." He moved to the door.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"I told you, I don't want to be saved."

"But you might need assistance."

"How do you know you won't turn and run?" Without waiting for a response, Gregory walked out of the house and toward the Thompsons' home.

TLV

Dracula pushed Von back, but on the way out, Von landed a kick square in the Count's chest. Dracula stumbled back, and Von righted himself and lunged for the other vampire, pushing him across the room and through the door. Wood, he thought upon seeing the fragments of door that lay around the Count.

He waited for the Count to get to his feet, and then he dove toward the door frame, narrowly escaping Dracula's claws. He picked up a piece of wood, rolled onto the balcony, and turned toward Dracula, who approached almost too slowly.

The front door opened, and Von didn't need to look over his shoulder to know who had entered. Dracula approached, and Von crouched slightly, the makeshift stake at the ready. The Count shot forward. Von forced the stake deep into Dracula's chest, and he stumbled to the side. Von turned to face Gregory, who alternated between staring at him and watching the Count.

Von turned toward Dracula, who pulled himself to his feet and tore the splintered piece of wood from his chest. Dracula again lunged for Von, who sprung himself backward over the railing and landed in the hall. "Gregory, what are you doing here?"

"Checking on you, because Father won't," Gregory replied. He looked past Von into the living room. "I have an idea." He walked right to the fireplace and removed a metal poker from the stand. In the window, he spotted the lights of Rookery's truck coming to a stop in front of the castle. Von met Gregory's eyes and backed into the kitchen. The Count followed, and Gregory crept up behind him.

Rookery kicked in the front door and brandished the neon cross. Von shot back in search of a hiding place, but Dracula turned toward the hunter at the exact moment the hunter turned toward Gregory. Gregory struck Rookery on the side of the head and drove the metal rod through Dracula's body. As Rookery fell, the cross touched the Count's arm, eliciting a bloodcurdling scream and creating a thin cloud of smoke. "That's it," Gregory whispered. Rookery looked from Dracula to Gregory and back again, but before he could speak, Gregory said, "Get to teh truck and get the light ready, or as many as you can, and wait until you see me. That's your signal." Rookery looked at Dracula, clutching his arm and waiting for an opportunity, and nodded mutely to Gregory. Gregory ran up the stairs to the landing and turned back toward the Count. "Come on," he called. "You know you want it." He continued up the stairwell with Dracula gaining ground fast.

Gregory burst into Tony's bedroom and tore open the nightstand drawer. His fingers almost instinctively tightened around the Stone of Attamon, and seconds later he dove off the balcony. The Count was now airborne.

Gregory ran around the castle to the driveway, and his eyes went to the truck, where Rookery waited in the driver's seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his father standing in the gateway, and for once he silently begged the man to stay where he was.

He didn't.

As Gregory veered toward the truck, Frederick ran toward him. Rookery turned on nearly every light on that truck. Gregory wasn't close to finished running when the Count's unearthly shriek died in a ball of fire. He was sent forward and slammed his shoulder and the side of his face into the grille of the truck, and he rolled over onto his back on the gravel, his head pounding. Frederick knelt beside him. "Gregory. Gregory, are you alright?"

"I...I think so," he managed.

Rookery climbed out of the truck and walked around to the front of it, and Von emerged from his hiding place. "I assume it's done and that's why all the front windows are broken?" Von asked, gesturing with his thumb to the front of the castle.

"You," Rookery said through gritted teeth. He moved to step forward, but Frederick stopped him. After a few moments of trying to stare each other down, Rookery returned to his truck and pulled out.

Frederick helped Gregory to his feet, and they turned toward Von, who stared at the scorch mark on the path that was all that remained of Count Dracula. Then he turned toward the humans and whispered, "Let's get you two home."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Rudolph lay next to Gregory on his bed the next night, and they stared up at the ceiling for several minutes. "I tried," Gregory finally whispered, turning his head toward his brother.

Rudolph wrapped his arms around Gregory. "I'm so proud of you," he said.

"Hey, it's not like I believed I was going to achieve desirable results."

"It doesn't matter. You did it, or tried to. That's all that counts."

Gregory turned so that he was on his back and his brother on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around Rudolph and gave him a gentle squeeze.

TLV

Rookery ducked into his truck and immediately went for the light switches. Several vampires shot back, and others moved to the tailgate. He put the truck in gear and floored it, turning to the south and taking the most obscure road he knew of as fast as his truck would allow. A quick look in the rearview mirror confirmed what he had already suspected: the vampires were following him.

He opened the glove box and felt around for his phone. He flipped it open and speed-dialled a number. After a few moments, an annoyed, heavily accented Scottish female voice answered, "What dae you want, John?"

"We have a situation," Rookery replied. "It's like the Hydra up here. Cut off one head, several more spring up."

"More vampire stuff? Yae really need a new hobby. They turned human, remember? Yae sent me thae paper several weeks ago."

"It's nothing to do with the Sackville-Baggs, not directly, at least."

"Then what is it?"

"A bunch of seemingly unrelated bloodthirsty fiends, too many for me to handle."

The girl seemed to change her tune almost immediately. "Where are yae?"

"McAshtonland still."

"What sort ae vampires are we talkin'? Who's the most powerful? You know?"

"No, I don't know, but I'll wager a guess, that vampire I blew up in the Thompsons' driveway."

"What vampire?"

"I heard him called the Count."

"As in...Count Dracula?"

"Haven't heard any different."

"Alright, stay there. I'm on my way."

Rookery snapped the phone shut and tossed it into the passenger seat, and then he turned a sharp corner.

TLV

Aila pocketed her phone and picked her dorm room apart for the few necessities that needed to be packed in a duffel bag along with her so-called starter kit: several stakes, both wooden and silver, a vial of holy water, a vial of garlic juice, a vial of a mix of the two, and several pieces of silver jewelry. She zipped the duffel bag up and walked out of the building toward a small Sedan. She tossed the bag in the back seat, started the car, turned on the headlights, and pulled out.

Several minutes later, she glanced at the road sign pointing in the direction of McAshtonland, and she looked in her rearview at Edinburgh.


End file.
